What if Cat Stevens had flown under a different name?

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Richard Wiggins <richard.wiggins () gmail com>
Date: September 23, 2004 8:47:57 AM EDT
To: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Subject: What if Cat Stevens had flown under a different name?
Reply-To: Richard Wiggins <richard.wiggins () gmail com>

The US refused to allow former pop star Cat Stevens to enter the
country because the gorvernment claims that he's given money to groups
that support terror.  Homeland Security says United Airlines should
not have let him on the plane, because he is on the watch list.
United Airlines says they didn't have him on the list.

But this person has three names:

-- Stephen Demetre Georgiou, the name given at birth

-- Cat Stevens, his pop identity

-- Yusaf Islam, the name he took when he converted to Islam

Homeland Security actually diverted a jumbo jet to Bangor, Maine for 5
hours and sent a guy named Yusaf Islam packing back to the UK.  What
do you suppose would've happened if the passenger list had shown Cat
Stevens?  Or Stephen Georgiou?  I bet he'd have been welcomed to the
US.

This just points out the silliness of a yes/no list based only on
one's name.  If a terrorist ever takes the name John Smith a lot of
folks aren't going to be able to fly any more.

-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as interesting-people () lists elistx com
To manage your subscription, go to
 http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip

Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/